A Simple Wish
by Jadesaber
Summary: After another beating from Bakura, Ryou makes a wish. And it's granted. But in a way he never expected. (Complete.)
1. Default Chapter

Notes: I've only seen the U.S. version of Yugioh, so this story is loosely based on that. I don't know much about Ryou or Bakura but I'm pretty sure that both are out of character in this story. Bakura (and Yami later) have their own bodies. Any other notes will be in subsequent chapters. Enjoy!

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Ryou fumbled with the key to his house. He didn't really want to go in, but he knew that it would only be worse if he didn't. He finally opened the door and stepped inside, setting his book bag on the floor next to the door and taking off his shoes before entering further. He paused at the bottom of the stair, listening. He didn't hear anything, maybe that meant that he was out.

            "So, Ryou, did you get it?" A dark voice asked from behind him.

            Ryou froze in fear for a moment, then slowly shook his head, knowing what was coming. "No."

            "I told you what would happen if you didn't get it this time." The voice behind him darkened even more in malice.

            Ryou didn't respond, he just turned around to face the person behind. Bakura glared at him angrily, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Ryou knew that look, it meant that he could expect an exceptionally painful lesson from Bakura.

            The blow to his jaw caught him off-guard. He fell to the floor, clutching his jaw with one hand, his eyes never leaving Bakura's face. When he didn't immediately rise, Bakura kicked him in the ribs, shoving him into the wall. Ryou refused to cry out, Bakura would only beat him harder for being a wimp.

            The beating continued for quite a while, Bakura alternating between cursing him and hitting him. Ryou tried not to cry out, but he screamed when Bakura landed a particularly violent kick on his back, just to the left of his spine. Bakura sneered at him and kicked him again for good measure.

            Finally, he got tired of beating Ryou and left the room. Sending a look of disgust at Ryou, before disappearing up the stairs. Ryou lay in a heap at the bottom of the stair for several minutes before pulling himself up with the help of the wall and dragging himself upstairs. He passed Bakura's room as quietly as possible and slipped into his room. He closed and locked the door, although he knew that a locked door wouldn't stop the spirit of the Ring if he really wanted to enter.

            He pulled the first-aid kit off the shelf by his bed and tended his cuts. Then slipped into his pajamas and got into bed. He looked out at the sky outside his window for a moment, making one silent wish, before falling asleep.

            'I wish my yami was like Yugi's.'

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            High above a single star flared brightly. Something in the heavens taking pity on the poor, white haired, boy. In his room, Ryou slept, oblivious to the fact that his wish had been answered.

Please review?!


	2. Surprises

            I'm glad you guys like this so much. It's my first fan fic, so I wasn't sure how good it was. I hope you guys like the second chapter too!

Notes:

1. This is mainly in Ryou's POV. Though I might add some others later.

2. The yami's have their own bodies.

3. //Yami to Hikari//  /Hikari to Yami/  'thoughts'  "speech"

     my notes in the story

4. I will use a few Japanese words; so let me know if you want translations.

I'll try to respond to reviews each chapter. Here are the responses for Chapter 1.

Dark Queen of Roses: I'm glad you like it so far. Here's chapter two!

Mirakai no tenshi neko-jin: Cool name! I put Ryou through a lot in the first chapter and he'll have a hard time throughout the story, but it will get better for him.

Kaiyo no Hime: Actually, Bakura is still going to be mean. You'll see what happens with the wish in this chapter. Enjoy!

Shadowfire: I don't think I've read your story. I'm sorry if I copy you in anyway. Let me know and I can change it. I hope you enjoy the story though.

AngelicMouseGirl: Interesting name. Thanks for the enthusiasm! It really inspired me to write and post this next chapter so soon! I hope you like it!

            Oh! I forgot to do the disclaimer last chapter! Okay, here it is:

Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Yugioh or any of its characters. If I did then I would know what happened in the entire series and wouldn't have to wait every week!

Okay, on with the chapter!!

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Chapter 2: Surprises

            //Ryou, aibou, time to wake up.// Ryou rolled over as a soft voice in his head spoke to him.

            It was a school day, but he hurt and didn't really want to get out of bed. He waited to be screamed at or hit, but nothing came. He started a little when a hand touched his shoulder and shook him gently.

            "Aibou, if you don't get up now you will be late for school. I have breakfast ready." A deep voice spoke behind him.

            Ryou frowned, that voice didn't sound right, and since when had Bakura ever woken him up nicely?  He opened a sleepy eye and rolled over . . . and opened both eyes in shock.

            Yami Yugi stood in front of him, dressed in his usual black leather, spiked hair making him look even taller. Ryou shook his head for a moment and rubbed his eyes. Think he was still half asleep and dreaming this. But Yami still stood there.

Yami will still be Yami and Bakura will still be Bakura and they still look the same. It's just easier that way.

            Ryou glanced over to his nightstand where he kept the Ring while he slept, Those spikes would hurt to roll over on. OUCH! and saw the Puzzle there instead. He sat up in shock and Yami took a step back, looking at him in concern.

            "Aibou, are you alright?" He asked, a small frown on his face. "Are you ill?"

            "I . . . I'm okay. You just, surprised me, that's all." Ryou replied, trying to think this through.

            'Why is Yami here? How did I get the puzzle? Where is Bakura?' His eyes widened suddenly. 'What about Yugi?!'

            "Uhmm . . . Yami?" Ryou started, looking up at the spirit of the Puzzle.

            "Yes, Ryou?" Yami asked, smiling at him, arms crossed over his chest.

            "Uhmm . . . have you seen Yugi recently?" Ryou finally asked, not knowing how else to ask if Yugi was okay.

            "We saw him yesterday at school, don't you remember?" Yami asked, a look of concern on his face.

            "Oh, that's right. I forgot. Thanks Yami. I'll get ready for school now." Ryou replied, standing.

            Yami nodded and left the room, probably heading for the kitchen to finish breakfast. 'Well, it can't be too bad if Yugi is at school. I'll have to talk to him when I see him.' Ryou thought, then proceeded with preparing for school.

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Okay!! That's chapter two! I'll post the school scene by this weekend, hopefully. Hope you liked the twist! Please review?!


	3. Questions

            Wow, I didn't think my first fic would get this big a response. I hope you continue to enjoy it. As always I'll respond to reviews.

ilpalazzo & pingpong: I won't put many more (if any) notes inside the fic. I only did it for that chapter because I didn't want to give anything away at the beginning.

petite_angel: I'm glad you like my work so much. Here's another chapter!

Lady Ann Kenobi: That's really good insight! That's where the angst comes in!

Silvermist15: I won't go too much into what happens to Yugi, this is centered around Ryou, but you'll see a little of what happens to him.

CrYsTaLdRaYgOn98: I haven't read any stories like this before. Sorry if I copy what's been done before. Bakura is going to be pretty mean in this fic though.

Sarina Fannel: Well, you didn't have to wait long. Here's chapter 3!

Shenya: I'm glad you like this. I feel sorry for Yugi, too.

WingJade: Yeah, they did trade a little. You'll see more in this chapter. Enjoy!

Rutu: I'm glad I was able to surprise you and do something unexpected. I'm trying not to do something that's been done before.

lizzy9046: WOW! That was the longest review I've gotten so far. Thanks. Your right, Ryou is tormented a lot. So is Yugi, they just make really good stories.

Yami Krissy: Well, here is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

ShadowFire: I'm glad I'm not copying someone. I thought I would try to add a twist. I'll try to check out your story. If you know of any others like this, maybe you could mention them? I don't really want to copy anyone else either.

Okay, that's all for now. Remember: /hikari to yami/  //yami to hikari//  ~~scene change~~. Due to several requests I will try not to add notes inside the story.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yugioh. Though I can still dream.

On to the chapter!

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Chapter 3: Questions

            On the way to school Yami kept trying to get Ryou to tell him what was bothering him.

            //I know something is bothering you, Hikari.// Yami tried again, watching Ryou carefully. //Please, tell me.//

            Finally, Ryou had had enough. So he countered with a question of his own.

            /Yami, have you ever had another hikari? Before me I mean?/

            Yami looked shocked, but responded immediately, "Of course not. You were my first and only aibou."

            "Are you sure? Maybe you just don't remember?"

            Yami looked thoughtful for moment, then responded, "I may not remember most of my past, Ryou. But I do know that you were the first person to ever solve the puzzle, therefore you are the only person I have ever bonded with."

            "Thanks Yami." Ryou said, smiling at him.

            'Well, that answers one question.' Ryou thought to himself. 'Although it brings up several others. Am I the only one who remembers what it was like before? I really need to talk to Yugi.'

~~At School~~

            As they entered the schoolyard, Ryou looked around Yugi. Yami had returned to the puzzle when they were a block away, so he was alone. It was still early, so there weren't too many other kids around, but Ryou couldn't spot the short, spike-haired youth he was looking for.

            "Hey, Ryou!!" A voice to his right called.

            Ryou turned to see Joey running up, waving. Ryou smiled, and waited for Joey to reach him.

            "Hey, Joey, aren't you here a little early?" Ryou asked, thinking that the Joey he knew was impossible to get up in the morning.

            "Yeah, I had extra detention, so teacher said I could come in early and serve it. I just got out." Joey replied, laughing, "So, how are you and Yami this morning?"

            Ryou paused a moment, not sure what to say. He finally settled for, "We're fine. Although Yami got me up earlier than he needed to."

            "Well, you know he cares about you. He just wants to make sure you get to school on time." Joey replied. "Hey, Tristan!!"

            Joey ran off to greet his best friend, and they walked back together.

            "Morning, Ryou." Tristan said, smiling at something Joey had said.

            "Good morning, Tristan."

            Just then, Ryou finally spotted the boy he had been looking for.

            "You guys, I'll catch you later. I have something I need to do. See you in class!" He called as he ran off.

            At first he was relived to see Yugi, but then he frowned. Something was wrong. Yugi stuck to the walls, staying as far away from everyone as he could get. Ryou caught a glimpse of gold as he moved and realized that he had the Ring dangling from his neck. Yugi looked up nervously as Ryou approached and froze in place.

            "Hey, Yugi." Ryou greeted, coming closer. "How are you doing today?"

            Yugi looked at the ground before responding. "Same as always. How about you?"

            "I'm doing alright." Ryou hesitated a moment, then pushed on. "Uhmm, how about Bakura? How is he doing?"

            Yugi's eyes instantly hardened and he sneered at Ryou. "Why would you want to know, runt?"

            Yami instantly appeared next to Ryou. Luckily they were in a secluded spot for now, so no one saw him.

            "Leave him alone Tomb Robber." He said dangerously.

            Bakura simply glared at them for a moment, then he blinked and Yugi was back in control. He watched them fearfully, especially Yami.

            "Wh . . . why do you want to know about Bakura?" Yugi finally asked, forcing himself to ignore Yami.

            "I mainly wanted to see if you were alright. How is he treating you?"

            //Aibou, you shouldn't pry too much. The Tomb Robber is likely to retaliate if pushed to far.// Yami warned, still watching Yugi carefully.

            Yugi hugged himself and looked at the ground, then started massaging his left arm. He didn't respond. Ryou reached forward and touched his arm, but Yugi pulled away, hissing in pain.

            "Yugi, let me see your arm." Ryou said forcefully, reaching for it again.

            Yugi tried to pull away, but Ryou grabbed his jacket. He held the arm gently and pushed up the sleeve. The whole lower arm was covered in cuts, bruises, and burns. Ryou's eyes widened, this was definitely Bakura's work. After being on the receiving end of Bakura's punishments before, he would recognize it anywhere.

            "I . . . I have to get to class!" Yugi cried, panicking.

            He pulled away and ran for the school building. Ryou sighed. This wasn't what he had wanted when he made that wish. /But why did it come true this time? I've wished for it before./

            //Why did what come true?// Yami asked, returning to the puzzle again.

            Ryou started, he hadn't meant for Yami to hear that. /Nothing./

            /Yami, what are we going to do about Yugi?/

            //Nothing.// Yami replied.

            /But we have to do something! He doesn't deserve to be treated like that!/ Ryou replied, worried about his friend.

            //What the Tomb Robber does with his hikari is none of our concern. As long as he does nothing to you, I cannot interfere.// Yami said, his tone saying that he wouldn't hear anymore about it.

            Ryou sighed, and headed for class. He knew from what Yugi had told him that it was almost impossible to change Yami's mind once he made a decision. It was going to be a long day.

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            There you go! A look at Yugi's life and peek into Ryou's thoughts about all of this. Next chapter I'll add a little of Yugi's POV on what happened in the morning. Please review?!


	4. Yugi's Morning

            Yay, another update!! As usual, I'll respond to review first:

silver-fanged-dragon: You're the first person to be happy that Yugi is stuck with Bakura. Oh well, always a first for everything. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Sarina Fannel: I'm glad you like the story so far. Yes, they did pretty much switch lives.

Yami's Aibou: I first posted it on Tuesday, so it hasn't been up long. I'm glad you like it though.

Kaiyo No Hime: I'm glad I was able to surprise you. I love unexpected and new twists. Malik/Marik isn't going to be in this fic (mainly because I don't really know much about him yet). But I'm thinking of adding Shadii, though. Sorry.

Dark Queen Rose: Your request is granted. Here's chapter four!!!

lizzy9046: Well, actually, Bakura would only be short when he takes over Yugi's body. When he comes out of the Ring he has his own body. He probably was upset when he first met Yugi though. I don't know if I'll include that in a flashback or not.

Tsunamimbw: No I haven't read "Millennium Switch". I'll have to check it out. As to what Yami and Bakura look like now . . . they look the same as always in their own bodies. In their past lives they looked that so I think they should stay that way. It's less confusing for me, at least. AND HERE'S YOUR UPDATE!!!!

Mirakai no tenshi neko-jin: That was an interesting review. Your right, Ryou is a little confused right now, but he'll start to figure things out. He'll get a little help with it later. Hope you like the next chapter!

Yami Krissy: Yeah, Ryou is confused, but not for long. I hate to put Yugi through this (since he's my favorite character), but this idea just kept bugging me.

yamianimewriterd: You'll probably feel even sorrier for Yugi in this chapter. We get to see his morning from his POV. Hope you like.

AMG: This soon enough? I tried to make it a little weird, and hopefully different.

            WOW!! That was a lot for one chapter! Thanks!!

Notes: //yami to hikari//  /hikari to yami/  ~~scene change~~

This chapter is in Yugi's POV. Enjoy!!

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Chapter 4: Yugi's Morning

            Yugi slumped in his seat at the back of the classroom. Luckily it was history, and he was pretty good at that, so he didn't have to pay real close attention. Which would be impossible to do right now.

            //What did you think you were doing?// Bakura growled at him from inside the Ring. //You weakling, you should have been able to avoid the Pharaoh's hikari easily!! When we get home we're going to have a little lesson.//

            Yugi winced inwardly. Bakura's lessons were always painful and sometimes left him unable to leave his room for days. He wished, not for the first time, that he wasn't so clumsy.

~~flashback~~

            The alarm clock beeped once, quietly, and Yugi immediately switched it off. He froze for a moment, listening. When he didn't hear anything he slipped out of bed and made his way quietly to his dresser.

            Bakura hated mornings. He especially hated to be woken up in the morning. Yugi was always as careful as he could be when he got ready in the mornings. If he could just be quiet enough and get out of the house soon enough, then Bakura couldn't come with him to school. He was always more relaxed when that happened. Which wasn't often.

            This particular morning Yugi managed to get a quick shower and change in the bathroom. Bakura was asleep in the guestroom across the hall from his room. Yugi slipped as quietly as he could back down the hall to get the Ring and grab his homework.

            He grabbed his book bag and made his way towards the stairs that led down to his grandfather's shop. His grandfather slept downstairs, to avoid Bakura probably. Unfortunately for Yugi, his book bag had torn at the bottom again. He kept fixing it as best he could, but it was really old and needed to be replaced.

            As he made his way down the hall, just as he passed Bakura's door, a pencil slipped out of the tear and clattered on the floor. Yugi cringed. Bakura was a really light sleeper, courtesy of his Tomb Robber days, and would wake up at the slightest sound.

            Yugi had just enough time to glare at the pencil and turn to the door before Bakura yanked it open. Bakura glared at him darkly. His hair, mussed from sleep, only made him look more demonic. Yugi backed away slowly, never taking his eyes off of Bakura.

            Without a word Bakura stormed forward and backhanded Yugi into the wall. His bag fell to the floor with a loud thud. Yugi allowed himself a brief flash of hope that his grandfather would come up and help him this time. But that disappeared when Bakura grabbed him by the hair and yanked him up to eye level.

            "Damn brat." Bakura hissed, still glaring at Yugi, "How many times do I have to tell you, I don't like to be woken in the morning?"

            "I . . . I'm sorry, Bakura." Yugi whispered fearfully.

            Bakura just tossed him to the side and turned his back on him. Then he turned around, an evil smirk on his face, took a step forward, and delivered a solid kick to Yugi's ribs. Yugi winced and bit his tongue to keep from crying out. He closed his eyes as Bakura continued his lesson.

            After what seemed like forever, but was probably only a few minutes, the beating stopped and Bakura stepped back. Yugi cracked an eye open and looked up at him.

            "What are you staring at, brat?" Bakura asked, "Don't you have that school of yours to go to?"

            When Yugi still didn't move, Bakura frowned and took a step forward again. This got Yugi moving. He scrambled to his feet and made a grab for his book bag. He left the pencil where it was, it was too close to Bakura for comfort. Just as he was slipping down the stairs, he heard one last comment from Bakura that made his blood run cold.

            //May as well come with you. Maybe I can have some fun with your friends.//

            Then the Ring flashed, signaling that Bakura had reentered it. Yugi sighed. He didn't have friends anymore. Bakura had made sure of that. He had attacked Yugi's friends several times. After the second attack, Yugi stopped hanging out with them, hoping that they would be safe if he avoided them. But they didn't all seem to get it. They still insisted on trying to help him. Especially Ryou.

            Yugi sighed again, resigning himself to another day of school with Bakura, and walked out the door.

~~end flashback~~

            The bell rang, interrupting his thoughts. Yugi grabbed his book bag and shuffled out of the classroom behind everyone else. No one spoke to him. No one wanted to. He was strange, an outcast. He was violent. No one wanted to be near him when he went into "one of his moods" as they were called. In other words, when Bakura took over. No one except his old friends and his grandfather knew about Bakura. He meant to keep it that way.

            "Yugi! Wait!"

            Yugi looked over his shoulder to see who was calling him. Great, it was Ryou. 'Hasn't he done enough for one day?' Yugi thought. 'Bakura's already mad at me. I don't need him to get angrier.'

            He started to move faster towards his next classroom, but Ryou caught up with him and grabbed his arm. Yugi winced and Ryou immediately loosened his hold.

            "Sorry." Ryou said, watching him.

            "What do you want Ryou." Yugi asked tiredly.

            "I wanted to apologize for earlier." Ryou stated, looking down at the floor. "I didn't mean to get Bakura angry. I also wanted to see if you would like to go out for pizza after school."

            //Absolutely not!!// Bakura yelled from inside the Ring. //I won't have you hanging out with the Pharaoh's brat!//

            "I don't think that's a good idea, Ryou." Yugi mumbled quietly.

            "Because of Bakura?" Ryou asked.

            Yugi looked up suddenly and his eyes narrowed, glaring. He wasn't in control anymore. Bakura had taken over again.

            "Leave us alone, boy." He hissed. "What I do is none of your concern."

            With that he stormed down the hall. He knew that Yami would fight back if he even raised a hand to Ryou. He was definitely going to have a little talk with his hikari when they got home.

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            Well, what did you think? Hope you liked it. Please review?


	5. Figuring Things Out

            Sorry this took so long to get out. I had trouble figuring out how I wanted to write this. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this so far! I really appreciate your comments and support.

Review Responses:

nanashi: Thanks for the encouragement. I'm glad you like my writing so much.

Dark Queen of Roses: I like having suggestions for my stories. They help me out. Thank you.

Molly-chan the Anime/Game fan: Hope this is soon enough. I'm glad you like it so far.

lizzy9046: I already have the ending worked out. I'm just trying to decide how I get there. That's usually my problem, getting from my starting idea to my ending idea without making it boring. 

Tsunamimbw: What do you mean by "what is really supposed to happen"? If you mean what he really meant when he made his wish, then he'll reveal that in this chapter. As you asked, here's the next chapter!!

ShadowFire: Your welcome for the review. Your story is pretty good, as I said. And your right, Yugi does have problems now that he has Bakura. Poor Yugi, I hate tormenting him like this.

Yami Krissy: Here's the next chapter!

lilymalfoy: (interesting name) Glad you like it. Hope you like this next chapter too!

Mirakai no tenshi neko-jin: I like your name, it's cute. So was your review! I'm glad you like the story so far.

Since I forgot the disclaimer last time (AGAIN!!). I'll say it twice.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh!! I don't own Yugioh!! Get off my back!!!

There, that's better. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the look into Yugi's new life (and Ryou's old one). There will probably only be one or two more chapters.

Remember: //yami to hikari//  /hikari to yami/  ~~scene change~~  **flashback**

So, here's chapter 5! Enjoy!!!

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Chapter 5: Figuring Things Out

            'How am I going to fix this?' Ryou thought.

            He was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was supposed to be asleep. It was almost two in the morning. Any smart person would be asleep. Especially if they had school later, which Ryou did. But he couldn't stop thinking about the past couple of weeks.

Yami. It all came down to Yami. At first Ryou had been happy to have Yami rather than Bakura. It was nice to not fear for his life every moment of the day. He liked being able to talk about his problems and ask for advice. And he had definitely liked having someone looking out for him.

The problem was, Yami was **too** protective. 'How did Yugi stand it? Did Yami treat **him** like he couldn't defend himself at all? I thought it would be nice having someone who cared about my safety, but this is too much. I'd almost rather have Bakura beating me than Yami treating me like spun glass.'

Ryou sighed. It had all really started about a week ago.

**Flashback**

            Ryou was walking down the hall after school, heading for his locker. As he rounded a corner he bumped into someone. He ricocheted off and scraped his elbow on the floor as he landed. He hissed in pain.

            //Aibou, are you alright?// Yami asked, concern clear in his voice.

            Ryou didn't get a chance to reply because the person he bumped into moved forward to help him up.

            "Ryou, buddy you alright?" Joey asked, offering a hand to pull him to his feet.

            "Yeah, fine." Ryou replied, smiling despite the pain in his arm.

            "Sorry, man. I wasn't watching where I was going." Joey noticed Ryou holding his arm and asked, a concerned look on his face, "Did you hurt yourself?"

            Ryou moved his arm so he could check out the damage. He winced a little as he saw the bloody scrape. It wasn't too bad, but would need to be cleaned and dressed.

            "Just scraped my arm, that's all. I'll be fine. And it wasn't all your fault, Joey. I wasn't watching were I was going either."

            //Aibou?// Yami asked, clearly still concerned.

            /I'm fine, Yami. Just being careless./

            Yami appeared from the Puzzle and rushed to his hikari's side.

            "Ryou, your hurt." Yami stated, taking Ryou's arm gingerly.

            Ryou flushed; embarrassed that Yami was making such a big deal out of a small injury.

            "I'm fine, Yami." Ryou said, pulling his arm away gently. 'I have worse.'

**End Flashback**

            Yami had insisted that Ryou go straight to the nurse's office and get the injury looked at. She had said the same thing that Ryou had. It was just a minor wound and, after cleaning and wrapping it, she sent him out.

            Yami hadn't really been happy with that and had insisted on redressing the wound when they got home. No matter how much Ryou protested that he was fine, Yami treated him like he had a fatal wound. Ryou finally decided that it wasn't worth arguing over and just did what Yami told him.

            But it had gotten worse since then. A few days after the incident with Joey, Ryou tried again to talk to Yugi. Unfortunately, Bakura was there and when Ryou asked Yugi if Bakura was treating him okay, Bakura decided to teach Ryou a lesson. Yami had decided to stay home that day, so Ryou was on his own. Bakura hadn't really done much other then punch him and then kick him around. Yugi had watched for a moment, then tried to get Bakura to stop. Bakura did, but only so that he could beat on Yugi.

            Ryou had come home with a black eye, a split lip, and few bruises on his arms and sides. Yami had positively freaked when he found out what happened. It took Ryou a whole hour to get Yami calmed down and then he had to physically restrain Yami from going out and banishing Bakura back to the Shadow Realm. Yami even threatened Yugi for letting Bakura hit Ryou. He wanted to send Yugi to the Shadow Realm too.

            It hadn't even stopped there. It seemed that if Ryou even go a paper cut, Yami would freak and try to send the paper to the Shadow Realm for hurting his hikari.

Ryou shook his head, and sighed again. He looked out the window at the stars and closed his eyes, thinking. 'I wish everything was back to normal.'

A bright flash of light lit the room, and Ryou shot out of bed in surprise. He squinted his eyes against the brilliant luminescence invading his room through the window.

Suddenly a soft voice spoke. "But didn't want to have someone who cared for you?"

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I know that was a bad place to stop. But I wanted to have at least one big cliffhanger. Sorry.

Anyway, please review!!


	6. Answers

Well, I'm glad you're all enjoying this so far. I hope you like this chapter too!

Reviews:

Zoey: I'm glad my writing is that interesting for you. Yugi is my favorite character, but I came up with this idea for Ryou, so I wrote it. Thanks for the compliment.

Lady Ann Kenobi: Your right, Yugi does need Yami. I wouldn't really call him spun glass though, he can be tough when he needs/wants to be. As for Bakura changing, you'll have to wait and see.

?: I'm glad you like this so much. Here's the next chapter. Can you tell me where you read something like this? I'd like to see what it looks like.

AngelicMouseGirl: Glad you like it. Here's the next chapter.

Sheyna: I don't usually like cliffhangers in stories either, but they're really effective, and I couldn't think of a better way to introduce the mysterious Being that helped Ryou. Hope you enjoy this next bit. It also has a cliffhanger, but I'll post the next chapter soon, so you won't have to wait long.

ShadowFire: Glad you like it. I wasn't sure where to end it, so I decided to end on a cliffhanger.

Kaiyo No Hime: Well, personally I like happy endings, so this one is going to be happy. I hope the story was angsty enough for you. I'm glad you like my work.

stupid kid 04 and blah: Glad you like it. I've read a bunch of your stuff and liked it, so I'm glad you like my story so much.

Dark Queen of Roses: Well, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it.

Akaisurayasha: This soon enough for you?

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yugioh. Though I've got someone working on it.

            Now, on to the story!!!

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Chapter 6: Answers

Ryou shook his head, and sighed again. He looked out the window at the stars and closed his eyes, thinking. 'I wish everything was back to normal.'

A bright flash of light lit the room, and Ryou shot out of bed in surprise. He squinted his eyes against the brilliant luminescence invading his room through the window.

Suddenly a soft voice spoke. "But didn't you want to have someone who cared for you?"

            "Who . . . who said that?" Ryou asked, looking around.

            All he saw now was the white light. He couldn't see his room anymore.

            "I did Ryou." The soft voice spoke again, this time definitely coming from behind him.

            Ryou turned, and froze. There behind him, was a young woman. Though she was definitely not human, he could somehow tell she was female. She seemed to be made of bluish-purple flames. But her eyes were black with white specks. He thought that the specks moved for a moment, almost like a star field. But he couldn't be sure.

            "Who . . . what are you?" Ryou asked, suddenly a little scared. 'Where is Yami? Shouldn't he have come out by now?'

            "What I am is unimportant. I am the one who heard your wish, and decided you deserved the chance to experience having someone love and care for you." She said, almost seeming to smile at him. "And your friend, Yami, will not be appearing. I have taken you to a different plane of reality. One where time doesn't exist and Yami cannot follow."

            Ryou wasn't sure how to take that. He was glad that Yami was all right. But he wasn't sure that he wanted to be alone with a strange being that might or might not wish him harm.

            "I will not harm you, Ryou." The being stated, as if it had read his mind. "I wish to help you."

            Ryou decided to skip the question of how she knew what he was thinking and moved on to the more important question.

            "Why?"

            "Why what?"

            "Why are you helping me?" Ryou asked, then added, almost too softly to hear, "Why would you want to help me?"

            "I do want to help you? Why wouldn't I? Don't you think that you deserve to have some happiness in your life?" She asked, sounding shocked.

            "No one's helped me before." Ryou replied, a little sharper than he intended. "Why should they start now?"

            She shook her head, and looked at him sadly. "Your wrong, you know."

            "About what?" Ryou asked, not paying a lot of attention.

            "About no one helping you before." She replied, resting a hand on his shoulder.

            Ryou was startled. Not just because he hadn't noticed her move, but by the fact her hand didn't burn him. It didn't even feel hot. She raised her other arm, and pointed off to the right. Ryou looked at the spot she pointed to.

            He watched as the blank spot swirled and formed into a glassy surface, like a mirror. He looked up at the being in confusion, but she motioned for him to watch the 'mirror'.

            He turned his head back and watched the mirror swirl once more. This time it formed an image. Ryou was shocked to see . . . himself! No . . . wait, he looked closer and realized that it was Bakura. The mirror shifted to a wider view, and Ryou saw Yami facing Bakura. It looked like the duel Yami and Bakura had had while they were at Duelist Kingdom. Ryou watched as the last few moment of the duel played out. He watched Yugi attack Bakura's face down monster, and be paralyzed by the Electric Lizards special effect.

            When Bakura played the Change of Heart card and Ryou appeared, the image froze, and the being beside him spoke.

            "Your friends could have destroyed you when you took over Bakura's monster, but instead, they found a way to save, not only themselves, but you as well. They restored you to your body, and trapped Bakura in the Ring for a time."

            The scene played out, then changed to Bakura confronting Tristan. Ryou watched Tristan hand Mokuba's body over, then strike Bakura, knocking him out.

            "Again, your friend could have saved himself and the boy only, and left you, or even killed you. But instead, he made sure that you were safe as well."

            The scene changed again and again, each time showing him times when Yugi or one of the others had helped him. He honestly hadn't remembered half of them. He had always just assumed that, since they didn't stop Bakura from hurting him, they didn't care. But now he saw that he was wrong. Yugi in particular seemed to make an extra effort to comfort Ryou, and get him to talk about his problems. Finally, the images faded, and the mirror dissolved back into a blank space.

            "You see, they do care for you. And they do want to help you." The being stated, moving away from him.

            Ryou nodded, not sure what to say at the moment. She saved him having to respond to her comment by asking him a question.

            "You wished for Yugi's yami. Is that what you really wanted?"

            "No," Ryou shook his head.

            "What do you want?"

            "I want Bakura to care about me, like Yugi and his friends care about me. I thought I wanted him to be like Yami, but . . ." He shook his head, laughing a little. "I don't think I could survive that for very long. I don't see how Yugi deals with him."

            The being smiled at him, "Everyone has problems, some larger than others."

            "I guess." Ryou's smile faded, and he hesitated, unsure of what to do or say next.

            He settled for asking, "What now?"

            "You have a choice now." She replied. "Things can either go back to the way they were before you made the wish, you can continue to have Yami as a partner, or you can have Bakura back but with his personality altered."

            Ryou thought about it. He really wanted Bakura back, as much as he hated to admit it, he did care for Bakura. He just wished that Bakura cared about him. However, forcing Bakura to change didn't seem right to him. He realized that keeping Yami not only wasn't what he wanted, but wasn't fair to Yugi. Yugi had done his best to help Ryou, and Ryou couldn't just abandon him to Bakura. After thinking about it for a while, Ryou finally came to a decision.

            "I want things to go back to the way they were before I made the wish."

            She stared at him, shocked, for several seconds, before finally speaking.

            "May I ask why you don't wish for me to help you?"

            "I'm sorry, but I don't think it's right to force someone to change. I do wish that Bakura cared about me, but only if he chooses to." Ryou answered honestly.

            "That's, very unselfish of you. I've never come across someone like you." She seemed to think for a moment, then asked, "What if I give Bakura the choice to change?"

            "What do you mean?"

            "I can bring Bakura here, the one from your real world, and show him some of what he has done to you. Maybe if he really sees what he has done, he will be willing to change. I could "open his eyes.""

            Ryou thought about this new possibility. If Bakura saw and acknowledged what he was doing to him, would he be likely to care? Ryou didn't think so, but then again . . . 'I can't see where it would hurt anything. If it doesn't work I can't see where I'd be any worse off. Bakura knows he can't kill me or he'll be trapped in the Ring again. That's some comfort at least.'

            "Alright, I think that might work." Ryou finally replied.

            "Very well."

            There was a flash of bluish-purple light, and suddenly Bakura was standing next to Ryou.

            "What the hell is going on?" He asked, looking around. "Where am I?"

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Sorry, have to end it there. This chapter was getting a bit long. But don't worry, I'll post the last chapter this weekend. Probably tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed it!

As always, please review?!


	7. Bakura's Choice

            Sadly, this is the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for all the encouragement and suggestions.

Reviews:

Dark Queen of Roses: Glad you still like it.

Serphant Night Dragon: Sorry about the cliffhanger, but here's the conclusion!

vmr: I liked that chapter too. Here's the last one!

ShadowFire: Thanks for the support. It's nice to know that people really like my work.

Sarina Fannel: That's okay; I've been posting chapters pretty close together. But don't worry, the wait is over!

Yami Krissy: That's the best compliment I've gotten! Thanks a lot!

Sheyna: Glad I could clear some things up. Hope you enjoy the conclusion.

YamiMisty88: I'm really glad you guys like my work so much! It's makes me really happy and encourages me to keep writing. Here's the next chapter!

molten-amber: Glad you like the twists I've added and the story so far. Enjoy the last chapter!

DarkStar: Don't worry; I won't keep you in suspense for very long. Here's the last chapter!

benign sadist: I'm glad you took the time to check out my fic! I'm really glad you enjoyed it so much. Thanks!

            Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own Yugioh!

            I'd like to thank all of you guys who reviewed, especially those of you who reviewed more than once. So I'd like to give a special thanks to: Dark Queen of Roses, Sheyna, Mirakai no tenshi neko-jin, Yami Krissy, Sarina Fannel, ShadowFire, Tsunamimbw, Lizzy9046, Lady Ann Kenobi, Kaiyo no Hime, and anyone else I missed! Thank you guys so much!

            Now, for all you loyal fans, here's the last chapter!

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Chapter 7: Bakura's Choice

            There was a flash of bluish-purple light, and suddenly Bakura was standing next to Ryou.

            "What the hell is going on?" He asked, looking around. "Where am I?"

            Ryou took an involuntary step away from Bakura. Unfortunately this caught Bakura's attention.

            "You!" He growled, lunging for Ryou.

            Ryou cringed, waiting for Bakura to strike him, but the blow never came. Ryou looked up to see Bakura frozen in place, a surprised look on his face. The Being stepped forward and spoke sternly to Bakura.

            "You will not harm him here." She said, positioning herself between Bakura and Ryou. "Do you understand?"

            Bakura's face showed his confusion. His expression going from surprise, to confusion, and then quickly to anger.

            "I'll do what I damn well please with the brat! Now what the hell is going on? Where am I?" Bakura growled, struggling to free himself from his invisible bonds.

            "I will free you if you promise not to harm the boy. If you persist in trying to harm him, I will have to take more drastic measures. Do you understand?" She asked in a menacing tone, her aura growing larger, making her look more threatening.

            Bakura actually looked afraid. He numbly nodded his head.

            She smiled at him, took a step back, and suddenly, Bakura could move again. He growled and muttered under his breath, then looked around him.

            "Are you at least going to answer my questions?" He finally growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

            "You are in an alternate plane of existence, much like your Shadow Realm. I brought you here to show you something." She replied.

            "And what's the brat doing here?" He glared at Ryou for a moment, then turned his attention back to the Being.

            "As this concerns him, and more importantly your relationship with him, he has a right to witness this."

            "What do you mean this concerns him? What relationship! Why am I here?"

            "As I said before, you are here so I can show you something. Then you are to be given a choice."

            "What choice?" Bakura growled, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

            "You will see."

            She raised her arm and the mirror appeared again. Bakura turned to it in surprise. The mirror's surface immediately swirled and changed. Showing a scene from when Ryou had first gotten the Ring. They watched as Ryou put the Ring on for the first time, and Bakura appeared. Ryou cringed as his past self was beaten for the first time. Bakura had been less than pleased to have such a weak partner and he had taken his frustration at being stuck in the Ring for so long, out on Ryou.

            Many more scenes of abuse played out. Ryou glanced over at Bakura, looking for any sign that the scenes were affecting him. Bakura was simply sneering at the scenes in front of him. He didn't seem to care at all. Ryou sighed, maybe this was impossible.

            The Being looked over at Ryou, then looked to Bakura. She knew that he was hiding his feelings. She knew that he did care. He just didn't want to admit it. And until he did, he would continue to beat Ryou.

            She spoke, "Do you see what you have done to this boy? You have punished him, repeatedly, for things that he had no control over. Do you think he truly deserved that?"

            Bakura turned away from them both, and Ryou was sure that they had failed and that Bakura would only beat him for this when they got home. But Bakura surprised him by actually replying.

            "The boy is weak. I'm only trying to teach him how to defend himself. To toughen him up."

            "You are wrong, Bakura. Ryou isn't weak. Far from it. He has one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen. Do want to know why he is truly here?" She asked, glancing at Ryou for a moment.

            Bakura simply nodded his head, still not facing them. The mirror had gone blank again and slowly dissolved back into a featureless space. Ryou watched Bakura carefully, trying not to get his hopes up. He still wasn't sure that Bakura wasn't planning something.

            "He made a wish which I decided to grant. After experiencing the wish, he was given a choice. He could keep things the way they were after I granted the wish, or he could take the wish back and have things return to normal. Do you have any idea what he wished for?"

            "How should I know? I may beat him, but I don't make it a point to go rummaging around in his head." Bakura replied, this time sounding almost civil.

            "I wished that you would actually care about me." Ryou said before the Being could say anything else. "At first I wished you were like Yami, but I realized that I couldn't handle that."

            Bakura turned around and gave him an amused look.

            "You think I would ever act like that Pharaoh no baka?" Bakura asked, actually laughing. Then he sobered and asked, "What was your choice?"

            Ryou opened his mouth to answer, but found that he couldn't. Even though Bakura was in a good mood right now, he wasn't sure that Bakura would like his answer. The Being saved him from having to answer.

            "He decided that he would rather go back to the way things were before he made the wish." She said, smiling at Ryou. He felt that it wasn't right to force you to change. That is why I brought you here. So you could see for yourself what you have put Ryou through. And so I could give you the chance to change. As Ryou wishes, I will not force you. The choice is yours."

            Bakura turned away again, seeming to be thinking over what he had been told. Ryou turned away as well, not wanting to face Bakura when he denied him, as he was sure he would. 'He has no reason to care about me. Yugi and the others, my friends, may care. But Bakura has no reason to.'

            Ryou started and spun around in surprise when a hand was placed gently on his shoulder. He stood there, too shocked to move, as Bakura smiled sadly at him. Bakura dropped his hand back to his side, just staring at Ryou for several moments. Then, to Ryou's further shock, he reached out and pulled him into a gentle hug.

            //I'm sorry, Ryou.// Ryou heard Bakura's voice in his mind. //I never truly paid attention to what I was doing. I wanted so much to toughen you up, so that you wouldn't have to go through what I did. I thought that if I beat on you, you would eventually learn to fight back. I never realized that I came so close to destroying what I cherished so much about you. Can you forgive me?//

            Ryou's mind refused to work for several moments. Finally his mind allowed him to fully process what Bakura had said. He smiled up at Bakura, and hugged him back warmly.

            /Of course I forgive you, Bakura./ Ryou stated, still smiling. /I've always cared about you, and I just wanted you to care at least a little about me. Thank you./

            "I'm glad I could help you realize that you do care about each other." The Being said behind them.

            They let go of each other and turned toward her.

            "I will return you back to your own world. No time will have passed, but you will both remember everything that has happened. I wish you both well."

            "Thank you." Ryou said, smiling at her. "Thank you very much."

            She just smiled back and then waved her hand. The light around them brightened to almost painful intensity. Ryou closed his eyes and waited for the light to fade. When it did he opened his eyes again. He was lying in his bed, in his room. He sighed, 'Was that just a dream?'

            //No, Ryou. It was real.// Bakura said from his soul room. //Ryou, I can't promise that I won't ever hit you again. But I promise to do my best. Just know that I do care about you.//

            "Thank you, Bakura." Ryou whispered.

            Then he fell asleep; happy for the first time in a long time and content in the knowledge that everything would be all right.

~Yugi's House~

            Yugi rolled over in bed, and opened his eyes. A glance at the clock on his nightstand showed that it was only one in the morning. He sighed. Something had woken him up, but he didn't know what.

            /Yami?/ He asked softly, not sure if Yami was asleep or not.

            //Yes, aibou?// Yami responded. //Is something wrong?//

            /No. Everything is fine./

            The Puzzle on his nightstand glowed softly and suddenly Yami appeared next to his bed. He smiled down at Yugi, sat down on the bed next to him, and rubbed his back. Yugi hugged him and smiled.

            "Sleep with me, Yami?" He asked, for some reason wanting to feel Yami's comforting presence.

            "Sure, Yugi." Yami replied.

            He slipped under the blankets as Yugi moved over. Then he wrapped his arms around Yugi and held him comfortingly. They both fell asleep, content in being close to each other.

The End

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            Well, I hope the ending wasn't too bad. I liked the way it worked out. Hope you enjoyed it too. Please review!

Translations:

            Aibou – partner

            Hikari – light

            Yami – dark

            Pharaoh no Baka – stupid pharaoh

I'm going to add a shameless plug for another story of mine. It's a fantasy story. You can find it either in the Fantasy section or in my author's section.

**Beastwalker**: Serena loses her family and her memories all at the same time. Now she has new friends and magical powers. Follow her as she tries to figure regain her memories while facing many dangers.

As the servants took away the desert course Darrian lightly touched Serena's arm and leaned over to whisper something to her. Serena leaned toward him to hear him better, but whatever he had to say she never found out, for at that moment the doors to the great hall burst inward and dozens of mercenaries poured through them. Most of the women screamed and the men jumped to their feet and reached for weapons, which they belatedly realized they weren't wearing.

            Darrian and Serena rose at the same time and he pushed her behind him as if trying to shield her. The women's cries of surprise turned to screams as the unarmed men in the hall threw themselves at the oncoming ranks of men. Most of them were cut down without so much as a chance to defend themselves. About fourteen of the mercenaries made their way toward the high table and Serena's father, Darrian, Lord Dracon, and the cousins seated there pushed both Serena and her mother behind them. Serena could see that they wouldn't be able to protect them at all. Without weapons they were as defenseless as the rest of the people in the room.

            "What is the meaning of this?" her father thundered.


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